Every year many vehicle accidents are caused by vehicle operators impaired by drowsiness, illness, intoxication, rage, or distraction. One common kind of impaired vehicle operation is drowsy driving. If the vehicle operator falls asleep for even a second while driving, the results can be disastrous. Another common kind of impaired vehicle operation is distracted driving. Modern motor vehicles come equipped with any number of distractions including stereos, air-conditioners, navigation systems, etc. Furthermore, a vehicle operator may be distracted by another passenger or by articles the vehicle operator brings into the vehicle (e.g., a mobile telephone, book, etc.). Yet another common kind of impaired vehicle operation is agitated, anxious, or aggressive driving. Numerous incidents occurring during the course of a trip may aggravate the vehicle operator, such as traffic jams, poor driving by other drivers, vehicle malfunctions, or inclement weather conditions. Additionally, factors unrelated to the trip may distract or aggravate the vehicle operator, such as receipt of bad news, running behind schedule, passenger conduct, or any number of factors occurring prior to vehicle operation. These and other factors may impair the ability of vehicle operators to operate vehicles safely.
Many modern vehicles are equipped with on-board computer systems that control some or all of the operational, environmental, and informational features of the vehicles. Additionally, many vehicle operators carry mobile devices (such as smartphones) with them while operating vehicles. Such mobile devices often communicate with the vehicle in ways that may allow the mobile devices to control portions of the vehicle features, such as external telephonic communication. Despite the availability of computing resources within many modern vehicles, such resources are not used to detect and mitigate dangerous situations involving vehicle operators or passengers. The methods and systems disclosed herein are addressed to such detection and mitigation.